My Taonga
My Taonga is a special gift that my Great Grandmother gifted to me when I went to her wedding with her wife.
My Taonga is a Pounamu that has a twist. She blessed it with the meaning that I will find my way through life connected with my twin and family and making sure we are close even when we are far apart.
In health we have been learning about decision making for drugs and alcohol.
for the assessment we have to choose out of a list of 17 drugs. The drug I choose to work on for this assessment is Psilocybin mushrooms/Magic mushrooms.
The other names for Psilocybin mushrooms/Magic mushrooms such as Mush, Shrooms, Psychedelic fungi, Tea party, Blue meanies.
There is a wide range of controlled and illegal drugs, which the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 classifies according to the level of risk of harm they pose to people misusing them. Class A ( very high risk ) involves Magic mushrooms, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin, Lsd (acid). Class B ( high risk ) Involves Cannabis oil, Hashish, Morphine, Opium, Ecstasy. Class C ( Moderate risk ) Involves Cannabis seeds, Cannabis plant, Codeine.
It is an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 to use, possess, cultivate or traffic (deal) in illegal drugs. Youth offenders under the age of 17 are not subject to the same penalties as adults (people 17 and over).
If police arrest you, have a search warrant or suspect you of using or having drugs on you they have the right to search you, your bag or your vehicle. The police are only allowed to search your mouth if you allow them to. you can be searched internally ( only by a medical practitioner ) if you have been arrested or police have reasonable grounds to believe that you have drugs inside your body somewhere.
If caught with Magic mushrooms you can face 6 months imprisonment and a $1000 fine. if you supply or manufacture you can face life imprisonment. Letting your premises or motor vehicle be used by someone to make, use or carry drugs can make you face 10 years imprisonment. Possession of instruments for the purpose of taking drugs (eg, a pipe, bong, needles, syringes, spotting knife) while be one year imprisonment and/or $500 fine.
To stay safe around magic mushrooms or any substance:
Scenario: It is the start of interval; you receive a text. The text is from your friend. Your friend tells you to meet them at the back of the field to use Magic mushrooms with them.
Options
Meet and use:
Positive: Immediate gratification.
Negative: Legal trouble, health risks, damage to relationships.
Politely decline:
Positive: Integrity, avoiding risks, preserving relationships.
Negative: Potential disappointment.
Seek guidance:
Positive: Experienced advice, avoiding potential harm.
Negative: Initial discomfort.
Meet and use:
Positive: Immediate pleasure.
Negative: Guilt, anxiety, fear of consequences.
Politely decline:
Positive: Self-respect, potential for alternative joy.
Negative: Initial discomfort.
Seek guidance:
Positive: Relief, support.
Negative: Initial discomfort.
Best Option: Politely declined. This aligns with personal values, avoids potential harm, and contributes to physical, mental, social, and academic well-being.
6 Types of Eruptions
Mount Vesuvius
Location – Gulf of naples in campania Italy
When? 17 March 1944, 79 AD destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Stabiae, and several other settlements.It erupted again in 203, Over Cassius Dio’s lifetime, Mount Vesuvius had significant eruptions, like in 472 when ash reached Constantinople. In 512, Theodoric the Great exempted Vesuvius residents from taxes due to severe eruptions. Later eruptions in 787, 968, 991, 999, 1007, and 1036 included the first recorded lava flows. In 1631, a major eruption buried villages, causing 3,000 deaths. Afterward, Vesuvius had frequent eruptions in 1660, 1682, 1694, 1698, 1707, 1737, 1760, 1767, 1779, 1794, 1822, 1834, 1839, 1850, 1855, 1861, 1868, 1872, 1906, 1926, 1929, and 1944, shaping its volatile history.
What? Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupted in 79 AD, causing hot avalanches of rocks and ash. About 20,000 people died. Today, a million people live nearby, risking another catastrophic eruption. Vesuvius has erupted eight times in 17,000 years, with the 79 AD eruption being the worst. People in Pompeii and Herculaneum didn’t know it was a volcano.
During the eruption, debris fell like 250,000 elephants every second. The eruption lasted over 24 hours. In 512, another bad eruption led to tax breaks for locals. If Vesuvius erupts again, up to 3 million people could be affected, as it’s just 15 km from Naples. Scientists classify it as a stratovolcano due to its conical shape from layers of lava and rocks.
What is DNA? DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid.
What Does DNA do? DNA creates you trait and personality and how you look.
What shape is DNA? It is a double helix. a helix is two strings in a spiral
The 3 units that make a DNA are A sugar molecule, A phosphate group and a Nitrogenous base
What are the 4 bases called? adenine A, cytosine C, guanine G and thymine T
What is the complementary base pair rule? complementary bases are the nitrogenous bases that are adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. Adenine will always pair with it to complement thymine, and cytosine will always pair with it to complement guanine.
Genetics Definition:
Gene- A section of DNA which codes for a particular trait. for example eye colour.
Allele- Different versions of the same gene. for example blue vs brown eyes.
Phenotype- The physical appearance
Genotype- The two alleles (one from mum and one from dad)
A= Dominant allele (Capital Letter)-
feature always show if present.
a= Recessive allele (Lower case Letter)-
Only shows if no dominant allele
Phenotype = What does it look like.
Genotype = what alleles does it have.
For the past few weeks in health we had been learning about drugs and alcohol.
Why would a person use drugs:
Why would a person not use drugs:
Blood diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, are sourced from war zones and sold to finance armed conflicts against governments. They often lead to human rights abuses and environmental degradation. In contrast, the regulated diamond industry adheres to ethical mining practices, ensuring fair labor conditions, environmental responsibility, and minimal negative impact on society. It focuses on transparency, certification, and responsible sourcing to offer consumers diamonds with a clean origin. This industry supports local economies and aims to eliminate the ethical and environmental concerns associated with blood diamonds, providing a more ethical and sustainable choice for consumers.
Questions
Where are most of these countries located-
they are located in west Africa on the coast. they are all boarding each other.
What do they have in common-
they are all countries in poverty and are involved in slavery.
who collects the diamonds-
the rebels.
Who make all the money-
the rebels.
the places where all diamonds come from-
Modern slavery
Facts-
There are 49.9 million slaves in the word
The country with the most slaves is india with 11 million
We have 8,000 slaves in new zealand.
1.electronics – us $243.6B
2.Garments – us $147.9B
3.palm oul – us $19.7B
4.solar panels – us $14.8B
5.textiles – us $12.7B
in social studies we looked at slavery and how much slavery we have in New Zealand.
In social studies we have been looking at mining in Australia and New Zealand and how it affects different things like environment, culture ect-
Research Question: How Does Mining Affect New Zealand?
Mining contributes socially, environmentally, and economically to the benefit of New Zealand.
The Mining industry in New Zealand delivered over $490,000 of GDP(gross domestic product) per filled job in the year to March 2023.
This method of mining is mainly used for hard rock gold, iron sand, aggregate or coal mining in New Zealand. Open pit mines involve digging back the land to expose the mineral to be mined. The Martha gold mine in Waihi and Stockton opencast coal mine near Westport are examples of open pit mining.
The total value of mining output (excluding oil and gas) increased steadily after the Second World War, and exceeded $1 billion for the first time in 2004.
Mining can cause erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by chemicals emitted from mining processes.
net zero emissions of all greenhouse gasses other than biogenic methane by 2050
Advanced land rehabilitation techniques, coupled with low-impact mining methods and reuse of mine waste,
detrimental impact on the cultural and spiritual wellbeing of Māori.
Chemical contamination on land and in water, sediments in waterways, and loss of riparian vegetation
The involvement of Māori in mining is not new. Since Polynesian ancestors first came to Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori have understood the value of extracting non-renewable resources. Māori quarried rock for tools, weapons, trade, demarcation, gardening and ornamentation.
the company must have a higher return from selling the minerals than their total expenditures by at least 10-20%
Most mining currently occurs in Otago, Southland, the West Coast, Northland, Taranaki, and the Waikato. Mining is an intensive use of land which may create permanent fixtures, such as overburden dumps and tailing dams. Mining has the potential to contaminate land and water, and restrict any future uses of the land.
“The Green Party’s plan to ask the wealthiest 0.7 to pay their fair share through a wealth tax would pay for an Income Guarantee that would benefit over 3.7 million people. Under our plan, 95 percent of New Zealanders would receive a tax cut and have more money in their back pockets to cover life’s essentials.
Mining has the potential to contaminate land and water, and restrict any future uses of the land. In recent times there has been more emphasis on minimizing the impacts of mining operations and rehabilitation of retired mine sites.
Stringent ventilation systems, personal protective equipment (PPE), and routine health monitoring are critical for safeguarding miners against these risks. Additionally, ongoing research and development in filtration technologies and better ventilation designs aim to minimize exposure to harmful substances.
analyzing mining accidents enhances safety protocols and prevention measures.
Macraes Operation on the South Island of New Zealand is the country’s largest active gold producing mine,
Reusing Mining Waste
The Crown Minerals Act no longer requires the Government to actively “promote” prospecting, exploration, and mining of minerals like climate polluting fossil fuels.
Open pit mining
This method of mining is mainly used for hard rock gold, iron sand, aggregate or coal mining in New Zealand.
New Zealand can improve mining practices by studying successful strategies from other nations worldwide.
People also contact employers directly. It is often the most successful approach. Whichever approach, or approaches, you use, you will find most employers here are happy to consider people from overseas if there are no people in New Zealand available to fill the post.
Should natural resources from Antarctica be mined?
Read the following blog posts. They contain a range of ideas and views about whether or not the resources of Antarctica should be mined
Antarctica is one of the few places on the entire globe where science has been allowed to succeed. Even though several countries have made territorial claims on the continent, no one lives in Antarctica on a permanent basis. There are scientists at research stations that are manned for the entire year. If you make the decision to mine the natural resources, you will be opening the floodgates for various companies.
There was another time that people decided to use Antarctica for its resources. This had devastating effects. Both on the environment and animal life. Whaling stations were set up in the 19th and 20th centuries. They were profitable for the owners. Profitable to the point that several types of animals were hunted almost to the point of extinction. Is there any reason to think that the mining industry would treat the fragile environment any differently?
What do we really have to gain from drilling in such remote places? Of course a few people may be able to line their pockets by doing so, hence the push by some to open up places like Antarctica, but how does this help everyone else? What kind of environmental damage will this do and how much will we expect to get from such mining? It seems to me that mining in Antarctica won’t solve our energy problems at all. Most likely it will cause far more problems rather than solve anything. Mining Antarctica and places like it won’t solve the energy issues we face today nor will it give our economy any long term benefits.
Antarctica holds most of the earth’s fresh water reserves and ice – both freshwater and ice are things the human race depends on in order to survive on this planet. Why should anyone believe that our fresh water is safe if drilling and mining is allowed in Antarctica? What about the ice that cools the planet and keeps it from becoming an unlivable hothouse?
Antarctica is loaded with natural resources and minerals such as iron ore, gold, nickel, copper, chromium, and platinum among others. According to the Antarctic Treaty, mining is prohibited. But that could change as the world demands more and more metals to feed a hungry industry and for technology.
Extreme care would have to be taken if any sort of mining were to take place on this frozen land. The ecosystem is just too fragile there, even though not many living things are native to Antarctica. Penguins come to mind, but they live mainly on the coast and the Weddell Sea. The question is does it make economic sense to invest the time and money to work there?
If proper precautions were to take place, then maybe, just maybe a small trial run of mining could happen.
If we have the technology to mine in the Antarctic then that’s exactly where we should be heading. The Antarctic is just one of several places that are inhospitable to most life. We should be taking advantage of the opportunity to develop mining and drilling in areas where the destruction will not have the same effect as it would in more populated areas.
We should be exploring and exploiting the resources of those areas of the world where the impact of our presence would be minimal. It’s a situation of realising that human society depends on these resources to maintain itself. Without taking advantage of natural resources, life as we currently know it, ends.
Until we can find better, cleaner, ways to support our society, we need to keep the damage to a minimum. If that means damaging a mostly barren ecosystem (like glacial Antarctica) to protect viable ecosystems (like the Amazon rainforest) then I am all for it.
TASK 1:
Identify whether or not the views expressed in each of the blogs are FOR or AGAINST the mining of resources in Antarctica.
Complete the For and Against Mining column of the chart on page 4 with your choices.
TASK 2:
Which of the following people might have written each of the blogs?
Complete the Possible Blog Writer column of the chart on page 4 with your choices.
TASK 3:
Highlight the reasons for the views expressed in each blog.
Write a summary of these reasons in the Reasons for Point of View column of the chart on page 4.
TASK 4:
What do you think about the mining of resources in Antarctica?
In the space provided at the bottom of page 4, write your own blog on this issue and then copy paste your words and blog it on edublogger.
4
Fill this table in from the above information
| Blog | For or Against Mining | Possible Blog Writer | Reasons for Point of View |
| 1 | Against mining | Scientist | Because they’re talking about if you mine natural resources you will be opening floodgates for various companies. Also they stated that several animals were hunted to the point of extinction. |
| 2 | Against | Environmentalist | Because they are saying that we aren’t really gaining anything from mining. They’re saying they protect the environment and care about it more than money. It won’t save our world’s energy problems and it’ll cause more problems mining in artica. |
| 3 | for mining | politician | According to the Antarctic Treaty, mining is prohibited. But that could change as the world demands more and more metals to feed a hungry industry and for technology.Most likely it will cause far more problems rather than solve anything. Mining Antarctica and places like it won’t solve the energy issues we face today nor will it give our economy any long term benefits. |
| 4 | for mining | Oil mining executive | If we have the technology to mine in the Antarctic then that’s exactly where we should be heading. The Antarctic is just one of several places that are inhospitable to most life. We should be taking advantage of the opportunity to develop mining and drilling in areas where the destruction will not have the same effect as it would in more populated areas. We should be exploring and exploiting the resources of those areas of the world where the impact of our presence would be minimal.Without taking advantage of natural resources, life as we currently know it, ends. We need to keep the damage to a minimum. |
I am very much against mining in Antarctica because it jeopardises one of the world’s last untouched wildernesses. Antarctica’s pristine environment is vital for global ecological balance and scientific research. Allowing mining there would disrupt fragile ecosystems, harm unique wildlife, and accelerate climate change. We must prioritise its preservation over short-term economic gains.
Mining in Antarctica poses a grave environmental threat. It risks irreversible damage to pristine ecosystems, disrupts wildlife, and releases pollutants in a region crucial to climate regulation. Protecting this unique and fragile environment is essential for the well-being of our planet and future generations.
The past few weeks we have been learning about wealth disparity in social studies.
we had to choose from one of the goals to help with climate change, poverty and staving people. the goal we chose was to life on land. life on land is protecting the ecosystem and promoting substantiated and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Life on land can affect how rich or poor people are. It’s because some people have more access to land, education, and jobs than others. This can make some communities wealthier and others not so wealthy. When people don’t have enough land and resources for farming, they can stay poor, which stops the economy from growing. To fix this, we can make fair land rules and give everyone a chance to learn, which can make society more fair and balanced.
The past few weeks in health class we have been learning about death dying and the after life.
We had recently watched a movie named Coco. The movie coco is about a boy whose family does not like family because of what has happened in the past. But Coco is wanting to be a musician and play without his family realising he does. And on the day of the dead which is a celebration he accidentally breaks his great great grand Mother photo on the Ofrendas and then steals a guitar and try’s to play music but gets sent to the after life. and has to get a blessing from one of his family members. and in the process he finds out who his real great great grandfather is. And gets a blessing from his great great grand Mother and Father to play music.
We had a task to do with the movie and explain information about it, and answer the questions about the movie.
here is one of the task-
This is another task that we had to do about the differences and similarities of halloween and the day of the dead.
The people in the hobbit are Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Samwise, Meviadoc, Belladonna pevegrin, Freedegar, otho and lotho sackvill.
The area where the hobbit was hobbiton, the rolling hills of the shive and bree.
what is the hobbit.
it is about someone who join the wizard and the 13 dawafs.
the map of the hobbit places.
The hobbit page 33
On page 33 of “The Hobbit,” the story continues with Bilbo Baggins, the main character, and his dwarf companions traveling through the Mountains. They get caught in a thunderstorm and seek shelter in a cave. Inside, they find themselves trapped by a hidden door that shuts behind them. As they explore further, they stumble upon a strange and magical underground world inhabited by goblins. Unfortunately, their presence is discovered, and the goblins capture them, leading to an unexpected and dangerous situation for Bilbo and the dwarves.
Bilbo sounds quite old and posh.
So far we have been learning basketball skills and some hockey skills. we are going to be doing football next.
So far we have been learning hockey skills, this required us to have control of the ball and be more connected with the hockey stick.
Something I enjoyed was being more in control with the ball and being more connected with the sport.
One thing i would like to do is learn more basketball skills.
My enjoyment level so far is a 8/10
Week 2
Today in english I had to go on a site called the happy broadcast.
The happy broadcast is a site which has short stories about news around the world.
The book i read about was how Australia is not having the king on the 5 dollar bill.
They plan to put indigenous culture and design on the 5 dollar bill.
They are planing to swap from the queen to put the designs of the indigenous culture on it.
here is the link to what I read-
Week 3
Today in class we had to find a small article about the news around the world.
The article I choose to read was about the government in France making condoms free for people under the age of 25.
The reason they are making this happen is because in the year 2020 and 2021 about 30% more people got STI.
Here is the link to what I read.
Week 6
Spain has started a law for women having 3 days off for women on their menstrual cycle.
there is a possibility for extending it to 5 days off for those with disabling periods, which can cause severe cramps, nausea, dizziness and even vomiting.
Term 2 week 5
Hi today in english i read a short story from a site called the happy broadcast.
the short story is about India and how 4 cheetah were born in a zoo there.
the story explains about how their species where being threatened by their land being taken away.
they were born at Kuno national park wildlife sanctuary.
https://www.thehappybroadcast.com/news/four-cheetah-born-in-india-70-years-after-extinction